


Dinner with the Schnees

by lyddieowl



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Established Relationship, F/F, Family Drama, Fluff, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyddieowl/pseuds/lyddieowl
Summary: Weiss and Ruby are invited to a dinner at Schnee manor.  What could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 10
Kudos: 76





	Dinner with the Schnees

Ruby finished messing with her hair, happy that her bun wouldn't fall out. The next task was the tie she'd chosen to wear, realising that she wasn't exactly an expert at tying them. She sighed, doing the best she could with what she could remember, sticking her tongue out a little as she concentrated. The huntress took a second to study herself in the mirror once she'd finish, adjusting her suspenders so they looked more uniform.  
Nervous was how she felt with lack of a better word for it. Although Weiss had insisted that this wasn't an important event, the brunette couldn't help anticipating that it was. It hadn't been long since they'd gotten engaged, after all. A dinner with Weiss' family was never very informal, but with this situation she envisioned it being far more fancy than usual. The only thing she felt truly confident about was having Weiss there with her.  
Ruby walked from the bathroom into the bedroom, seeing Weiss stood in front of the mirror fiddling with an earring. The brunette stopped behind her partner, and blue eyes met silver. The ex-heiress smiled up at her, glancing away only for a second to make sure the earring was in place properly. The younger woman smiled down at her, before looking down and fiddling with her hands awkwardly.

"Hey, um… do you think I look okay, Weiss?"

Weiss turned around, smiling fondly, "Wow, I'd say you look far better than okay, Ruby."

"You think so?" The silver-eyed huntress felt herself blushing a little.

Her girlfriend took hold of the tie, fixing it properly, "Mhm, I'd say you're looking really good, actually."

Ruby reached to brush her hand against Weiss' cheek softly, a shy little smile on her face. The older woman leant into her hand a little, mirroring Ruby's smile as her thumb traced over the scar on her left cheek. Weiss caught this hand, while the other had settled on the younger woman's waist. She was nervous too, that much was clear by just looking into her eyes. Ruby leant to kiss her forehead softly, hoping that would help calm her a bit.  
She stole a proper look at Weiss, some of her hair was braided and tied back, making her face even more visible than usual. The dress she was wearing was off-shoulder, swooping elegantly around her ankles. She looked beautiful, and it just made Ruby want to kiss her again and again. However, that probably wouldn’t be wise, mostly because they didn’t have much time. Neither of them needed the added stress of being late, so the silver-eyed huntress let out a little sigh, before leaning down to kiss Weiss lightly.  
The brunette was pleasantly surprised when she felt the ex-heiress wrap her arms around her. Ruby hugged her back, Weiss leaning her chin against her shoulder.

“This’ll be fine.”

Ruby smiled a little, “Hey, it might even be fun.”

“At least I’ll have something nice to look at.” Weiss pushed away so she could smirk up at her.

The brunette felt her cheeks going bright red, and she fiddled with her tie awkwardly, “Shuddup.”

The grin only grew bigger on her partner’s face, “Whaaat? If Whitley gets to boast about the SDC, then I should get to boast about my wife-to-be.”

Ruby was on the verge of exploding then, and it seemed like Weiss hadn’t fully comprehended what she had said instantly. When it hit her though, she blushed as well, looking away with a sheepish little smile on her face. The younger woman smiled wholeheartedly, bringing her hands to her chest and messing with the engagement ring on her finger. It had been about three months since the bees had gotten married, meaning it had been the same amount of time since Weiss had gotten down on one knee. It had been a shock, but a welcome one.  
That was the first time Weiss had mentioned the word ‘wife’ though. It was daunting, but it felt nice. It felt right. But it also rendered them blushing messes. Ruby thought this over a little, realising that she hadn’t said it herself. Taking a little breath, she stopped fiddling with her hands, lifting Weiss’ chin so their eyes would meet. The ex-heiress looked a little confused, but didn’t try to move away.

“What if I wanna boast about MY wife-to-be first, huh?”

Weiss stomped her foot a little, pouting while her blush intensified, “Oh, you dolt! That’s not fair!”

Ruby smirked, “Or should I say, ‘Weiss-to-be.’”

That earned a grimace, and the ex-heiress huffed before pushing past her, “Stupid, come on, let’s stop dawdling.”

The older woman went to walk downstairs, and Ruby followed after grabbing her blazer. Weiss grabbed a jacket too, throwing it over her shoulders before she left the house. The mood was good, and it didn’t feel like it was going to slip. Ruby insisted on driving, and after a half-hearted squabble they were on their way. The journey wasn’t exactly eventful, they laughed and joked a bit, at some instances Weiss would cut Ruby off mid-sentence so she could sing along to some of her favourite songs on the radio.  
They quietened down a little once they’d begun to approach the Schnee’s house. Well, Ruby knew it couldn’t really be called a house, but it made her feel a little better than acknowledging that it was a mansion. Mansion meant big and scary, house meant cosy and small, and the silver-eyed huntress preferred the latter. Weiss being the small aspect, at least. This thought made her smile, and as she parked up she glanced over at her fiancé.  
Weiss looked away for a second, Ruby being surprised that she’d been staring too. Their gaze met again, and they smiled at each other with equal amounts of warmth.

“You ready for this, partner?” The brunette asked, reaching to give her hand a quick squeeze.

Snow-white hair got pushed behind an ear neatly, before Weiss returned the squeeze, “I’m as ready as I can possibly be, I think.”

Weiss looped her arm around Ruby's as they walked towards the door, a slight air of apprehension between them. It was barely noticeable, and the happiness they'd been feeling up until that point still remained. The older woman knocked, and the pair stood back as it was opened. Ruby felt Weiss unloop her arm quickly, lurching forward to hug the man who had opened it.  
The brunette recognised him to be Klein, the butler that Weiss had spoken fondly about more than once, and one Ruby had met once or twice as well. The little man laughed, clearly pleased to see the young woman so happy. He nodded at Ruby once Weiss had let go of him, the ex-heiress slipping her hand into the younger woman's as she stepped back.

"Welcome, Miss Schnee. Miss Rose, it's nice to see you again."

Ruby nodded back, smiling awkwardly, "Yeah, you too… I MEAN it's nice to see you too!"

Weiss gave her hand another squeeze, "Where is everyone, Klein?"

"Allow me."

Ruby felt her nerves building the closer they got to the dining room. Weiss holding her hand was comforting, but she couldn't stop herself nervously fiddling with her tie and the buttons on her blazer interchangeably. She always got like this when she was going to be in the company of Weiss' family.  
The Schnees were still in high standing in Remnant, despite all the trouble and controversy in the past. Whitley had rebuilt the SDC's reputation, and Winter had broken off from the military to help him. Weiss had been reluctant at first, what with her title of EX-heiress, but she soon started to help out. She'd often come home with big, complicated reports to read. Weiss' mother seemed to be doing well too. As much as it was nice to see Weiss wanting to see her family again, Ruby couldn't help but find them intimidating.  
Maybe it was just their faces. They always seemed stern. Weiss could be scary when she wanted to be, but she also was funny, smiley, and a bit of a cuddlebug. A lot of a cuddlebug actually. It was just hard to picture her family laughing at something dumb. It was hard to picture them without frowns most of the time. Which made Ruby feel like she should put on a serious expression too, but she wasn't sure that was right.  
Klein opened the door to the dining room, and Ruby watched as Weiss' family stood up from their chairs at the opposite end of the room. Willow sat at the head of the table, and once greetings were finished, Ruby found herself sitting next to Weiss, across from Whitley. Winter unfortunately couldn't make it. There was a brief silence, before Whitley decided to speak up.

"Well, you manage to be late for practically everything, sister."

"Quiet you! We made it here within an acceptable time-frame. I'm satisfied with that." Weiss retorted defiantly.

Willow sighed, spinning her glass of water around slowly, "How are you both? It's been a while since we've seen you."

So far so good. Awkward small talk, Weiss and her brother shooting snide comments at each other from across the table. This was standard. Not the scary, overly serious dinner that Ruby had concocted in her mind. Food was served and they were offered drinks, the silver-eyed huntress earning a side-glance from Whitley when she'd asked for milk. Manageable, this was manageable.   
That's when the brunette felt eyes staring at her from across the table. Whitley was known for his condescending smirks, the younger man never failing to intimidate her slightly. Ruby tilted her head a little, trying to figure out if he wanted to speak to her or not.

"So, Miss Rose, I heard my sister finally decided to pop the question."

Ruby tensed, fiddling with the ring under the table, "Um… yeah, she did."

Willow stopped talking to Weiss, who had fallen silent, and Ruby saw a hint of a smile on the older woman's face, "Oh yes, congratulations. I trust it was quite the surprise."

"It… It was. I'm honoured that your daughter thinks so highly of me, ma'am." Ruby nodded, trying not to sound nervous.

Weiss placed a hand on her thigh softly under the table, silently reassuring her that it was fine, "Nonsense, I'm the one who's honoured to have you."

"Have you discussed anything in detail yet?" Willow sounded genuinely interested, maybe even a little excited, but Ruby couldn't tell for sure.

"No, we're just enjoying some peace before we start."

Weiss had quite happily taken over the conversation, and Ruby appreciated it. She could still hear some nerves in Weiss' voice, but these jitters were a good kind. Her partner was excited, happy to be talking about the future and what that might bring. The older woman kept her hand on Ruby's knee, and she eventually took hold of it. Her eyes closed over a bit, the sound of the ex-heiress' voice soothing no matter what she was talking about.  
There were a few instances where she could hear a fork being poked into a plate. Repeatedly. Silver eyes opened a crack to look at Weiss' younger brother properly. He was staring at his sister, and Ruby couldn't really read his expression. She wished that she could read his expression. He frowned, setting his cutlery down before taking a sip of his drink. The young man looked… somewhat angry, making Ruby frown subtly in return.  
Whitley dropped the utensil purposely then, startling his family and guest respectively.

"So, Weiss. Have you spoken to Father about any of this?"

Willow sighed before sending him a warning glance, "Not now."

"If not now, then when? When is a better time to ask a question like this?" The frustration in his voice was clear.

Ruby felt Weiss gripping onto her hand like a vice, glancing at her. There was a mixture of anger and confusion on her face. She never spoke about Jacques. If he was ever mentioned, even in passing, she’d brush the conversation in another direction as quickly as possible. Usually, anyway. But this was her family. Willow tried her best to have Whitley be quiet, Ruby realising that she too probably didn’t have the fondest memories of Weiss’ father either. The silver-eyed huntress felt out of place in this conversation, she felt the only thing she could do was keep hold of her partner.  
The woman holding her hand cleared her throat curtly, the tension in the room rising.

“I’d appreciate it if we didn’t talk about that man, thank you.” Her voice was scarily calm.

“You haven’t even visited him in years.” Whitley sounded hurt now, “I acknowledge that he wasn’t exactly Dad of the Year, but he asks after you.”

Weiss frowned, “And I could go for many more years without seeing him. We don’t need him, Whitley.”

The young man rolled his eyes, “I don’t know why he bothers concerning himself with you.”

“Enough, Whitley. If Weiss doesn’t want to talk to her father, she doesn’t have to. We’ve all suffered because of him. His actions… have never really been easy to forgive.” Willow trailed off a little.

“It’s okay, Mom.” Weiss smiled for a second, before turning her attention back to her little brother, “He’ll stop now, won’t he?”

The silence that followed seemed to last a lifetime. Ruby was surprised Weiss hadn’t jumped across the table to shut her little brother up. She could tell she was angry. The frown hadn’t left her face, but now her eyes were dull with uncertainty too. She didn’t really speak about all the stuff that happened when she was little much anymore, mostly because, at least Ruby figured, the present was happy enough to allow her to forget. The younger huntress tried to imagine not talking to her own father for years, but obviously that would never be the same.  
This wasn’t a conversation she was part of, but she felt like she had to say something. Up until that point, the night had been fairly pleasant. Not her idea of a fun dinner with her girlfriend, but one she deemed at least somewhat acceptable. She took a little sip of her milk, before clearing her throat.

“I don’t wanna butt in, but… why was that relevant in the first place?”

Whitley sighed, looking at the brunette, “It’s just… big news, is all. We don’t get a lot of that to share with him.”

“It’s news that I don’t WANT to share with him.” Weiss was firm, but the anger seemed to flood away.

“Maybe you didn’t, but…” Whitley seemed to squirm a little, “He does ask about you a lot. I was just being honest.”

Ruby raised her eyebrows, surprised, “Wait…”

“You told him?” Weiss stood up then, still holding Ruby’s hand, “This is NOT your news to tell, Whitley! Especially not to HIM.”

The brunette stood up slowly too, taking hold of Weiss’ arm, “Weiss…”

“I can’t believe you did that, Whitley!” She wasn’t listening.

“Well, you never speak to him, Weiss! What was I supposed to do? Lie to him?”

Weiss stomped her foot, seething, “Yes!”

“Weiss, let’s go calm down, okay?.” Ruby said, taking hold of both her arms.

Willow agreed, taking hold of her son’s arm too. She nodded, allowing Ruby to leave the table with her daughter. The silver-eyed huntress had absolutely no idea where she was walking, she still had no idea how to make it around Schnee manor. She just knew if Weiss stayed in that dining room, she might have exploded. Ruby was angry about what Whitley had done too, she wasn’t going to deny that. But she had to keep a level head right now. Weiss’ relationship with her family was fragile, and she knew that if that shattered they’d both be picking up the pieces for years. Not that Ruby would have minded. She would have happily rebuilt her ten times over. She just wasn’t sure if the ex-heiress would be able to deal with that.  
Said ex-heiress had seemingly taken the lead now, taking Ruby upstairs and they passed what seemed like a hundred doors. The pair didn’t say anything to each other as they walked, and eventually Weiss came to a stop in front of a door that she clearly recognised. She pushed, looking a little surprised that it was open. As Weiss let go of her hand, the brunette looked around what she now could see was a huge bedroom. Ruby naturally walked over to one of the dressers, picking up an old picture frame and dusting it off. It was an old picture of Team RWBY from their Beacon days.  
That’s when she realised, this was Weiss’ old bedroom. She thought it was a little bit irrational of her to blush about this, but she couldn’t help it all the same. The huntress looked over her shoulder, seeing Weiss had sat down on the bed with her head in her hands. Ruby smiled, walking over and sitting as well. The ex-heiress sat up when she felt the younger woman next to her, sighing deeply. She took a few deep breaths at first, eventually settling with her head on Ruby's shoulder.  
With her head resting on snow-white hair, the brunette offered her hand. Weiss took it, running her thumb over Ruby’s knuckles. At least the ex-heiress wasn’t mad at her. Turning her head slightly, Ruby planted a kiss atop her partner’s, smiling gently as she pushed away from the older woman to look at her properly. Weiss raised her eyebrows, before looking at the ground.

“... Sorry about that, Ruby. You must be pretty embarrassed.”

Ruby was caught by surprise, tilting her head, “I’m not! I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

Blue eyes tore themselves away from the floor, a tiny smile forming on the smaller of the two’s face, “What? Really?

The brunette grinned wholeheartedly, “Oh give over, you should be the one embarrassed by me! I’ve barely spoken all night!”

“Dolt.” Weiss gave her a playful nudge, before lying back.

Ruby watched as her feet dangled off the edge of the bed, not quite hitting the floor. She smirked, wanting to joke about how short she was, but bit her tongue. She eventually joined her fiancé, staring up at the ceiling that seemed even further away from this position. The atmosphere in the room itself wasn’t entirely happy. The last time Ruby recalled being here was when she’d helped Weiss pack up to move into the apartment she’d had before they eventually moved into their house. That felt like centuries ago now. It hadn’t felt like an all-together happy room back then either.  
Safe was probably the best way to describe it. Reminders of the past lingered the least in this room, so she began to understand why Weiss didn’t just step outside for some air. She felt the woman next to her lace her pinky finger around hers, and turned her head to find blue eyes burning into her. Weiss wasn’t smiling, but there was a softness to her expression, Ruby associating it most with when she was about to apologise for something. Ruby softened her own face, concern fluttering in her chest.

“Was I being irrational then?” Weiss looked back up at the ceiling, “Was I wrong to be angry?”

Ruby shook her head, “No. You weren’t.”

The older woman sighed, “... I would tell anyone else. Literally anyone, it wouldn’t matter. But him… no.”

“Yeah, I know you would. The postman congratulated me the other day, y’know?” The silver-eyed huntress said lightly, earning a little jab.

“Quiet! I just… I just want you to know it’s not because I’m ashamed. My father just, well, he’s not a person I want knowing about something so personal, y’know?” Weiss brought a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes.

Ruby nodded like her girlfriend could see her, “Of course! I agree with you, and you were right to be mad at Whitley.”

“I was?” Weiss turned her head, looking over expectantly.

“Mhm!” She smirked a little then, “He kinda annoys me a little bit anyway, to be fair.”

Weiss grumbled, rolling her eyes, “... Gods, I feel like an angry toddler. He didn’t mean for anything bad to happen. That much I’m certain about.”

Ruby didn’t really know how to respond. Weiss was right, unsurprisingly, her little brother probably didn’t mean for anything bad to happen. She went back to studying the ceiling, her mind wandering back to the old RWBY photo. The ex-heiress would have pushed Ruby away back then, she was almost certain of it. Now, it was nice to know that she’d grown so much, seeing her being happy with the person she had become all by herself, not being defined by her name anymore like all those years ago. It was just sad to see that it still haunted her, despite all the progress she had made.  
The younger woman let her eyes trace one of the patterned tiles as she lay thinking, realising just how long ago their days at Beacon were. It was both scary and comforting, on the one hand she was happy that she actually managed to survive until now, but so much had changed. If she’d been told she’d be lying there next to Weiss right then, she wouldn’t have believed it for a second. She’d have laughed awkwardly and ran off, most likely. It was strange to think about it, but not unwelcome. It at least gave her an idea of how to take Weiss’ mind away from her father.  
Taking hold of Weiss’ hand properly, she turned her head back.

“Hey, d’you remember when we first met?”

Her partner raised an eyebrow, sounding surprised, “What, when you nearly blasted us both off the cliff at Beacon?”

“Well, you WERE waving dust around in my face, what did you expect?” Ruby chuckled, sitting up and inviting Weiss to do the same.

The older woman sat up, pouting, “Perhaps… but at least I gave you that pamphlet afterwards!”

Ruby grinned, “You think I read that?”

Weiss pretended to gasp, looking as naturally shocked as possible, “I can’t believe it. The truth’s finally coming out. You really ARE a dolt!”

They both ended up giggling then, touching foreheads. This was better, she was laughing again. Ruby loved it when Weiss laughed anyway, but hearing her chuckling after having to deal with thoughts of her father felt so much better. Weiss stopped, and shyly took hold of Ruby’s waist. The brunette raised an eyebrow, tilting her head before pushing away from her partner’s forehead gently. The ex-heiress snow-white hair had fallen into her face in a few places, prompting the woman in her arms to brush these strands back into place as best she could.   
Weiss was smiling so softly, looking away.

“Maybe you aren’t that much of a dolt, I’m sorry.”

Ruby smirked, “Yeah… considering I think you actually called me a dunce.”

Weiss pouted again, before returning to her smile, “Just be quiet, will you?”

The ex-heiress took her partner by surprise, tugging on the suspenders that she’d forgotten she’d even had on to make their lips meet. The surprise soon melted away, and the kiss turned into two, then three, until it became difficult to count. Despite Weiss being the one to initiate, she was the first to pull away. Eventually at least, moving her hands to cup Ruby’s face softly. She was smiling, and the happiness in her blue eyes was reflected by silver, thankfully. Ruby was just elated that she clearly wasn’t feeling as bad as she had done when they’d left the dining room.  
Weiss wrapped her arms around her fiancé, pulling her in for a tight hug. Ruby held onto her, not really wanting to let go. Their breathing synced, and the brunette couldn't help but snuggle closer to the ex-heiress. If this had been their own bed, they'd have likely fallen onto the mattress properly and not moved for the rest of the night. Unfortunately it wasn't, but the pair were thinking the exact same thing. Ruby slipped away reluctantly, still holding onto Weiss' arms.  
Stealing one last gentle kiss, the silver-eyed huntress pushed herself off the bed. She offered a hand to the older woman, who let out a sigh before taking it. Ruby pulled her up onto her feet smoothly.

"... I love you." Weiss said, reaching to fix her collar.

"I love you too, dumbie." Ruby said, brushing a hand against her cheek, "We might need to find a mirror or something though."

Weiss blushed, squinting, "Um, why?"

The younger woman winked, "Your lipstick is a little bit uh… wonky now?"

"Oh Gods!"

Laughing, Ruby was ushered towards the big mirror in the corner of the room, before Weiss fumbled for a light switch. They were both a little bit messy, lipstick smeared slightly in alternating directions. It was lucky really that the ex-heiress never left the house without some form of wipe, and she handed Ruby one quickly. They stood next to each other salvaging what they could, trying not to laugh as they did, the whole situation seeming more silly now than anything. Fingers brushed through hair manically, some loose strands still poking out here and there but both looked better in the end.  
Weiss scolded Ruby for forgetting her own lipstick, and handed her the one that she had taken along with her. It looked fine, and with a few last brushings off of clothes they were happy that they were at least presentable again. The pair stood looking at their reflections, then realised their eyes were wandering to each other. The ex-heiress slipped her arm around Ruby's, pulling her closer.

"Come on… we should probably go back."

Ruby smiled, "You sure you don't wanna just stay here?"

Weiss blushed, scoffing, "Shut up!"

"I'll take that as a yes, but duty calls or whatever." The silver-eyed huntress winked again.

The ex-heiress narrowed her eyes, "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

Ruby laughed as she was led back to the dining room. Comments were made about how she'd have probably gotten lost if she did this by herself, and more silly giggling followed.   
Willow and Whitley were still there, and stood up again when the pair entered the room. The siblings apologised to each other, the atmosphere still a little tense but not to the extent that made anyone worry. They all sat down again, and continued the meal as it had been left off. Discussion returned rather lightly to the engagement, and there were no more mentions of Weiss’ father. Whitley ended up teasing his big sister about the whole thing, actually, and Ruby was just happy to feel some better vibes floating around the air. It wasn’t perfect, obviously, but that was unlikely even at the start of the evening, so she paid it no mind.  
The night went on, and eventually it was late. Later than Ruby had expected it to be. Weiss finished saying her goodbyes to her family, before being led back to the car. The drive home was far quieter than the drive to Schnee manor had been, but the pair were tired and the silence wasn’t uncomfortable at all. The radio was on again, and Weiss being too lazy to belt songs out was quietly humming along to them. The silver-eyed huntress stole a few glances at her as usual, and before long they were home, the ex-heiress seemingly gaining a burst of energy, rushing to open the door and disappearing inside before Ruby had even locked the car.  
It was unsurprising that when she eventually made it inside, Weiss had already thrown her shoes off and gone to get out of her dress. Ruby walked upstairs, seeing Weiss pulling on one of her sweaters. Blue eyes caught silver, and the ex-heiress smiled, knowing that Ruby would probably tease her about her clothes stealing habits yet again. The brunette just rolled her eyes, deciding to get ready for bed as well. Once they were both comfy, they sat across from each other with makeup wipes, helping each other with their mascara and the lipstick that had been wonky not that long ago.  
It was past midnight by the time they eventually decided to lie down, Weiss snuggling herself up under the covers as Ruby watched intently. They lay facing each other, hands locked together as they studied each other, smiles on their faces.

“I’m glad I’ve got you, y’know?” Weiss’ voice was wistful.

“Oh yeah?” Ruby reached her arms out.

The older woman shuffled over, nestling her head in the crook of her neck, her tone the same, “Yeah, I’d have probably throttled my own brother if not.”

The brunette laughed to herself, before kissing the top of her head, “You’re welcome, I guess. Goodnight, Weiss.”

“Night night, Ruby.”


End file.
